Oued Zem

Oued Zem
	Oued Zem
	Oued Zem
Basic data
State :	Morocco
Region :	Béni Mellal-Khénifra
Province :	Khouribga
Coordinates	32 ° 52 ′ N , 6 ° 34 ′ W Coordinates: 32 ° 52 ′ N , 6 ° 34 ′ W
Residents :	95,267 (2014)
Area :	16.7 km²
Population density :	5,705 inhabitants per km²
Height :	790 m
	Oued Zem - the townscape

Oued Zem ( Arabic وادي زم, DMG Wādī Zam , Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵙⵉⴼ ⵏ ⵣⴰⵎ Asif n Zam ) is a city (commune urbaine) with a good 105,000 inhabitants in the province of Khouribga in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region in Morocco .

Location and climate

Oued Zem is located at an altitude of approx. 790 m on a side road that leads from Rabat (approx. 160 km) in a southerly direction to Beni Mellal (approx. 72 km) on the edge of the Middle Atlas . The economically important cities of Khouribga and Casablanca are about 35 km west and 155 km northwest of Oued Zem, respectively. The climate is mostly dry and warm; Rain (approx. 490 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter months.

population

year	1994	2004	2014
Residents	73,953	83,970	95,267

The area was once controlled by the Ouardigha tribe . The current population of the city consists mainly of members of various Berber groups in the area ( Smaala , Beni Smir and Beni Khirane ) who have immigrated since the 1950s.

economy

The region around Oued Zem is rich in marble , iron ore and phosphates , the latter deposits were discovered in 1917 during the French occupation. The city is also known for its traditional handicrafts for making wool and silk carpets.

history

Oued Zem is known as the "City of Martyrs" as many of the residents were resistance fighters at the time of the French occupation. During the revolution and especially on August 20, 1955, many residents and French died. On August 20, 2005, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the revolution, a symbol of resistance against the French was erected.

The Oued Zem uprising came as a great shock to the French colony as they viewed the revolution as a massacre against itself. Because of the revolution, Oued-Zem was placed under an embargo of exclusion and poverty for more than 24 years on the basis of the X-Liban agreement . At present, Oued-Zem is still living under the impression of his own path in history against the French colonial era.

Attractions

In the city center there is a 400 m² lake that traces the city limits of Paris , which is why the city was called Petit Paris ("Little Paris") during the colonial era .

Cultural life

Oued Zem is famous for its popular music called Abidat Rma . This is played in a group of seven people; she has a group leader named Mkaddam . This Mkaddam is dressed in a special djellaba that distinguishes him from the other people in the group. In addition, the Mkkadem has a chisel as an instrument, in Arabic Mkass ("chisel") - an old tool for cutting sheep's wool. Alternatively, he can also play tar , a large frame drum similar to the bendir .

As the name suggests, this Abidat Rma art is determined by the ritual of hunting . This ritual, which coincides with the beginning of the hunting season, is celebrated by singing and dancing. At the time when the game is barking, screams (hurras) arise to urge the frightened prey to give up all resistance. In this concert of screams and shouts, the hunters abandon themselves to a game of gestures in order to startle the game in its final hiding place.

Although determined by hunting, Abidat Rma is also common during the harvest season. Here Abidat Rma expresses the farmers' joy in reaping the fruits of their labor, especially when the harvests are good. Today this art is still very popular among Moroccans. In Oued Zem she receives special care from the young and old. Every summer a festival is held in the city for this purpose, in which artists from all over the country take part.